BFMTF
by disneyanimationfan
Summary: Best Friends Mystery Twins Forever! Three separate one-shots focusing on Dipper and Mabel looking out or showing their love for their twin. Dipper and Mabel bonding.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE: RETURNING THE FAVOR**

Saturday, February 13, 2010. 10:20 PM. Piedmont, California.

It's late at night, and only ten minutes left until Dipper needs to be in bed. However, the ten-year-old is at his desk busy working away on something that he needs to have completed soon.

Dipper is not the most artistic person – at least compared with his sister – but he's not bad either. And besides, what he is making is not meant to be too complicated. Something simple, but holds great meaning.

The fifth-grader looked over to his side and picked up a massive heart-shaped craft made of pink letters and envelopes. On it, in aqua-colored paste, says "FOR MY FAVORITE BROTHER."

Dipper smiled as he remembered receiving this special gift one year ago, in fourth grade. For the first time, his school decided to engage in a "card-sharing" activity…something that the poor boy knew he was not going to like. He made a bunch of cards for several girls he liked…and to this day, he still doesn't know how those girls reacted to getting a card from a lonely nerd like him. But the actual worst part was finding out that he himself got no Valentines' cards at all, and was the only boy in his homeroom to not receive any. And not surprisingly, his classmates were very quick to pick on him for that. He felt terrible; he was always self-conscious regarding how girls viewed him, but that day confirmed his fear that no girl liked him at all.

He hid in a janitor closet, not willing to face the fact he is alone and his peers who have always ostracized him for being weird. He cried for a few minutes…he wasn't sure exactly how long. Then something slid from beneath the door: a custom-made Valentines' Day card from Mabel. It touched his heart deeply. He will never forget the moment that there was indeed one girl who cared for him, and that was his sister.

It didn't take long for Dipper to realize that he should have made a Valentine's Day card for Mabel, but he didn't. Well, that problem is going to be fixed this year, because Dipper is going to make an exact replica – well, not exact, but close enough – of what Mabel had made for him. A large heart, made up of a bunch of smaller pieces of pink paper and envelopes, and using a greenish paste to create "FOR MY FAVORITE SISTER." It only seems right to return the favor like that.

Dipper put down the original piece and returned to work on his version. He really can't wait to give it to Mabel – secretly, that is. His plan is to slip it underneath her door after her bedroom lights are turned off, and then tomorrow – the real Valentines' Day – she will be met with a surprise. Mabel deserves it, after all she has done for her brother. Dipper knows his sister will be thrilled by this small act of appreciation and sibling love.

After a few more minutes, Dipper completed his piece. He set the craft down on his desk to allow the paste to dry.

"Dipper, have you brushed your teeth yet?" Ms. Pines poked her head into Dipper's bedroom.

"Not yet, but I'm going to right now!" Dipper responded as he got up from his desk.

"Remember to brush your back molars; they are hard to reach!" Ms. Pines reminded as Dipper passed her on his way out.

Dipper went into the bathroom to find Mabel already brushing away. He stood next to her and prepared his toothbrush and cup. Mabel smiled a foamy grin on seeing her brother, but said nothing and continued brushing. Dipper also smiled slightly, but because he's eager to find out her reaction when she finds his card the next morning.

The rest of the night went by routinely. Dipper and Mabel said goodnight to each other and went to their respective rooms. The boy slipped under his covers to give his parents the impression that he is going to sleep.

After Mr. and Ms. Pines said their good-nights and retreated to their bedroom, Dipper immediately got up and went to his desk. He carefully picked up his Valentines' gift and made his way into the hallway. He went to Mabel's room, bent down, and slid the piece under the door. Dipper than tiptoed back to his bed, unable to help himself from grinning widely.

Sunday, February 14, 2010. 8:15 AM.

Dipper is still asleep, curled up underneath his blankets against the morning cold. His bedroom door opened to reveal Mabel.

"Dipper? Dip-dop?" Mabel said softly. When no reply came from her brother, she simply went up to his bed, climbed on top of his covers, and started to gently poke his cheek.

"What? Huh?" Dipper opened his eyes. He made a small yawn and sat up straight. "Good morning, Mabel," Dipper said, rubbing his eyes.

"Good morning, bro-bro. And thank you so much!"

"Thank me for what?" Dipper tried to regain his train of thought.

"For this!" From behind her back, Mabel revealed the gift that Dipper had made.

"Oh. Yeah, I wanted to return the favor, for everything you've done," Dipper said. "I never really liked Valentines' Day…but now I see it as a chance where I can show my favorite person how much she means to me."

"Aww," Mabel smiled. "Thanks! And you did amazing on this. You've come a long way in your art skill, Dipping Sauce."

"I guess I have," Dipper smiled.

Mabel let out a sigh. "I knew today was going to be Valentines' Day…but I didn't think to make _you_ a card! I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, Mabel. You already did. Last year."

Dipper slipped out of his bed and went up to his desk. He picked up the inspiration for his gift to Mabel and walked back towards his bed.

"Remember this?" Dipper asked as he sat back down onto his blanket. "I was the only one in my class who didn't get a Valentines' Day card. I felt so bad…and you went out of your way to make me one, using all of the ones that _you_ received. I can never fully express how thankful I am for that."

Mabel shifted herself next to Dipper and put her arm around him. "You are my brother. I simply can't let him go through the Day of Love thinking that he is not loved! That's why I made this. Yeah, I got a bunch of cool guys' cards, and I made plenty to those same ones…but no guy means more to me than you!"

"And I thank you very much for doing that, Mabel. You mean a lot to me as well. That's why I made this. I thought it'd be nice to do something similar, to show you how I share the same feelings. So I used your card as a model for mine. Now we have matching twin Valentines' Day gifts!"

"I guess we do now. Thanks again, Dip-Dip," Mabel grinned. "Happy Valentines' Day."

"Happy Valentines' Day to you too, Mabel," Dipper put his arms around his sister and pulled her into a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, bro-bro," Mabel responded.

_Next chapter: Gym Class is Monkey Class_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO: GYM CLASS IS MONKEY CLASS**

Thursday, October 10, 2013. 1:45 PM. Witter Field, next to the Piedmont Middle School campus. Piedmont, California.

It's Block 6 for students at Piedmont High School – and that means physical education class for the Pines Twins, 14 years old and in their freshman year. The current unit is still on soccer, so that requires traveling out of the high school zone, down the hill past the middle school, and onto the track and field with a large purple "P" in the middle. And as always, Dipper is far from looking forward to having his physical limits tested and being pushed around by his classmates, none of which are in a JV or varsity sport (because they wouldn't even need to take PE then), but are all more athletic than him by comparison.

Being October, the weather has cooled – fluctuating from 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. The sun is out, but is frequently blocked by the numerous cumulus clouds moving across the sky. Temperature wise, it's not so bad. But how hot or cold the air is becomes meaningless if one is forced to run laps, do stretches in a rapid pace, and finally get dirt kicked in the face as one struggles to get the ball for the team.

On the surface, the activities sound like a reasonable lesson plan for a high school physical education class. But put in a gym teacher that genuinely resembles the cliche pushy, ill-tempered coach from the average children's show, well, a different story arises.

"You guys know the drill. Two laps, no stopping, and get right to the stretching drill once you've completed the run," the coach sneered at his class. "Now GO, GO, GO! QUIT BEING LAZY AND GET A-MOVING!"

The coach blew his whistle. All the students, initially lined up alphabetically by last name for attendance, immediately took off down the field. It wasn't long before Dipper fell behind the rest of his peers.

Mabel, a fast runner naturally, usually jogs slower to keep herself as close to Dipper as possible. She knows how hard PE class has been for her brother, so the least she could do is be by his side for emotional support.

"Mabel…oh…," Dipper panted. "You don't need to do this. You go on ahead. Whew!"

"Hey, we're in this together," Mabel responded. "You know this is painful for both of us. But we can lessen it by sticking together."

"Tell it to Coach Haber," Dipper wheezed. "Every time he catches us running slow together, behind everyone else…"

"HIT THE GAS, PINES AND PINES!" Coach Haber's loud, booming voice – unaided by his megaphone – shouted from the starting line at the twins.

"Come on, Dipper, we can do this!" Mabel encouraged.

"Just go with the rest, Mabel…I never did well in PE anyways…I can survive more of Coach Haber's nags – AH-AH-AHHH!"

Dipper felt himself trip and fall forward. He extended his hands to break his fall, but to no avail; he crashed down onto the rough, brick-colored track asphalt and slid forward slightly. Dipper let out a large groan.

Mabel halted in her tracks, skidding forward about a feet. She turned around and rushed back to help her brother.

"Are you alright?" Mabel asked with deep concern. She helped Dipper sit back up. The side of his forehead is bruised, his hands are covered with dirt and reddened by the impact, and his left knee is gashed open and already bleeding.

"Oh my gosh OH MY GOSH!" Mabel started panicking. She licked her hand and frantically tried to apply her saliva onto Dipper's knee wound. Dipper winced at the contact.

"This is bad…you need to go to the nurse, Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed, worry deep in her voice. "Here."

Mabel squatted down beside Dipper. Dipper put his arm around his sister, and the two slowly got up. Mabel held her brother tightly as the two limped their way back towards the starting point.

"Oh, for love of Celestia!" Coach Haber flung his clipboard towards the ground and rubbed his eyes. "Pines, did you seriously trip? You need to watch where you are going, man!"

"I know, sir…," Dipper said uneasily as he and Mabel approached him.

"Coach, we need to head to the nurse," Mabel stated the obvious. "I'll help him out, he needs the support. You see the cut on his knee?"

"Yeah, I've seen worse," Coach Haber sighed. "Fine, take him to the nurse or whatever. Get him stitched up and come back ASAP. Or stay in the nurse's office, whatever she says."

"Thanks for understanding, Coach," Mabel smiled slightly. She stood up straighter and pulled Dipper's arm further across her shoulders.

The twins made their way to their backpacks. Mabel got out her hand wipes to clean some of the blood off of Dipper's knee. After some quick thinking, Mabel took out a roll of tape she usually uses for her art class and wrapped the strip around Dipper's leg. The rough feeling and stickiness made Dipper wince, but at least it helped prevented more blood from running.

Dipper put his arm around Mabel again and the two stood up. They made their way, slowly and limping, to the path leading to the middle and high school campus. It's going to be a long, hard trek uphill – especially the stairwell section adjacent to the high school gymnasium and the arts building.

"Thanks Mabel, for helping out," Dipper expressed.

"Save the thanks for later," Mabel replied sternly. "We need to move quickly. I don't know how long the tape can keep in the blood. It's already being stained from the inside."

"It's okay Mabel, I'll be fine. Let's just get there…oh!" Dipper scrunched his face at the pain.

"Your hands are also hurting and you have a dark bruise on your head. You're far from fine!" Mabel built up her strength and accelerated her pacing.

"Mabel…no need to be so fast! Let's take it slowly…ow…please!" Dipper hung on to his sister as he tried to keep up with his sister's faster walking.

"You need to be treated now and now! I'm not wasting any time. Every second spent is a second closer to infection!" Mabel insisted.

The two struggled uphill, past the middle school campus and towards the stairwell. Without hesitating, Mabel immediately started climbing it, much to Dipper's discomfort.

"Mabel…slow down…," Dipper moaned. Mabel, however, wouldn't listen; she is too eager to get her brother the proper medical treatment to even process what he is saying.

In only five minutes, Dipper and Mabel successfully reached the nurse's office all the way from the track and field down the hill. Very quick, considering how Dipper could only move with one leg – but with Mabel being desperate, she decided to sacrifice being gentle in order to reach the real care.

Very soon, Dipper's wounds have been disinfected and tended to. The nurse used a cotton ball dipped in antiseptic to clean Dipper's forehead, hands, and knee cut. She wrapped up the opening, much to both Dipper and Mabel's relief.

"The cut is large, but it doesn't seem severe enough to require stitching," the nurse said to Dipper. "You'll be fine. In about a week or two, the cut should be gone. Make sure to keep your wound covered for the next several days. You might need to do reduced activity for your next gym classes next Monday and Tuesday."

"Oh geez, Coach Haber is going to be glad to hear _that_," Dipper sighed.

"It's alright. He will have to let you rest if you have an injury significant enough to affect your performance, he can't help that," the nurse said with a smile. "Now, you just sit here and rest until the period ends, or the school day, really. I'll call Coach Haber to excuse you and Mabel for remainder of the block."

The nurse retreated to her desk to dial Coach Haber's personal cell phone. Dipper is sitting on the bed, a pad taped to his bruise on his forehead and thick gauze wrapped around his knee, and Mabel is nearby on the chair.

"Feeling better, Dip?" Mabel asked.

"Yeah. And I guess _now _would be a good time to say, thanks for helping out," Dipper smirked.

"You're welcome. And I'm sorry if I was a little too fast or rough as we were making our way up here. I just wanted you to be treated as soon as possible."

"I understand Mabel. You just care about me, that's all. And I'm very appreciative about that," Dipper smiled. Mabel in turn smiled back.

"It's funny though…usually _you_ would be the one who would go on a full-out panic if I were the one who got hurt. And even just a little paper cut or splinter will make you freak out. Man, I was _super_ motivated back then."

"Nah, I'd say you displayed the natural response any twin would have."

"Well, I'm just glad everything is done. Still hurting though?"

"A little bit, but not so much anymore," Dipper swing his lower leg a little bit, and winced when he felt greater pain. "Obviously I'm going to have to rest up for the rest of the week. But I'm alright. How about you? Feeling calmer?"

"Indeed. My precious brother is going to be all right." Mabel got up from her chair and cuddled Dipper like a mother towards her child.

"Okay, maybe not your calm_est_," Dipper chuckled.

"Shush, little one," Mabel said softly as she stroked her brother's hair. Dipper only rolled his eyes, but in an affectionate manner.

After a few minutes of hugging, Mabel detached from Dipper.

"_Now_ are you feeling calmer?" Dipper asked again.

"I guess so. But to be fair, I can never get enough of hugging the life out of you."

"True."

Mabel let out a sigh. "I wish I had a chance to kiss your forehead bruise before the nurse patched it up. We used to do that when we were kids, kissing each other's cuts or bruises. I think it helps make the wound heal faster, you know."

"Yeah, I remember. We kind of outgrew that. Well, maybe not entirely."

Mabel leaned forward and softly kissed the spot next to Dipper's eye and right below the padding. "I hope this still counts. Naturally I would just take off the covering and kiss the bruise directly, but then again, there's antiseptic below it."

"It's fine Mabel. I'm sure the kiss is close enough to enact its healing powers."

The twins shared a laugh, and continued talking in the nurse's office for the next hour, up until the bell indicating the end of the school day rang.

_Next chapter: My Favorite Set of Stars_


	3. Chapter 3

_**This chapter was directly inspired by the story "Stargazing" by Fan Fiction Net user PrinRue. I recommend checking out that story before reading mine.  
**_

**CHAPTER FOUR: MY FAVORITE SET OF STARS**

Wednesday, August 3, 2016. Nighttime. In a United Airlines Boeing 787-9 over the Bering Sea, slightly north of the Aleutian Islands.

Mabel made her way from the lavatories at the back of the Dreamliner towards her seat several rows ahead. The cabin lights are off, with only the back galley lights, the occasional reading light, and the screens of those watching their in-flight entertainment providing limited illumination.

The Pines Twins, 16 years old and turning 17 soon, had just had a three-city tour of Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou with their mother for their summer family vacation. The trip has wrapped up, and the twins are now heading back home on a United Airlines flight from Shanghai to San Francisco. Mr. Pines, a busy department manager at his company, was not able to join his wife and kids on the tour.

Mabel found the row number she, her brother, and her mother are sitting in on the left side of the plane. Both Dipper and Mrs. Pines are snoozing away. Mabel carefully climbed over their legs to sit back in her seat, right next to the window. It was difficult, and Mrs. Pines and Dipper shifted slightly in response to Mabel walking over them, but otherwise remained asleep.

Feeling bored, the girl turned to her inflight entertainment screen and entered the flight map. The plane indicator showed their position southwest of Alaska, over the Aleutian Islands. About 5 hours 45 minutes of the flight have passed since departing Shanghai; 5 hours 20 minutes left until arrival into San Francisco. The plane is cruising at 39,000 feet, with a tailwind helping out the plane's speed.

The aircraft has already been cruising in darkness for a few hours – the plane took off from Shanghai early afternoon and is expected to arrive at San Francisco in the early morning. Mabel, however, has not slept yet. She kept herself entertained after lunch was served about an hour into the flight by watching the two-part series finale to _Ducktective_ and _Dream Boy High_ for the nth time and playing some inflight Pac-Man. Dipper also watched one or two movies, but went to sleep shortly after the sun had disappeared behind the horizon as the plane advanced eastward. Mrs. Pines, a heavier sleeper, had hit the hay earlier. The two had missed the mid-flight snack; Mabel did not hesitate to gobble down the turkey sandwich and M&M pack meant for her brother and mother in addition to her own share.

Mabel figured she should get some sleep – after all, it will be daytime once they land in California, and the best way to counter jet lag is to work through the destination time zone. However, she doesn't feel like catching Z's. Not only is it still early evening back in Shanghai, but she had also asked for a mixture of coffee, tea, and orange juice with ice cubes at one point.

The teenager stared at the inflight map on her personal screen, watching the map zoom into the plane's current position and occasionally show an info slide displaying remaining flight time, speed, outside temperature, altitude, and the like. She listened to the humming of the plane engine as she aimlessly tried to make out a slight change in the airplane indicator's location.

After a few minutes and not seeing a shift in the airplane's location on the map, Mabel shut off her screen and let out a sigh. She slipped off her shoes and pulled her feet up to the seat cushion. She took out her blanket and covered herself.

The girl then turned her head left towards the large, oval window. Mabel tested the automatic dimming function – a fancy feature of the technologically-advanced Boeing – and saw that the window is at its brightest mode. It is so dark outside that the wing is virtually invisible, lightened only occasionally by a flashing bulb at the tip.

Mabel watched the light blink on and off, briefly lighting up the speed-brakes flat on the wing surface. As she slowly wandered her gaze, however, she noticed a few bright dots – stars. Mabel shifted herself and paid greater attention outside – oftentimes when flying at night she can make out many stars in the sky. She put the blanket over her head to reduce the reflection on the window, and almost pressed her face against it.

So many stars…and as usual, Mabel tried to make out some constellations. It's quite difficult, but entertaining. And how often is one able to stargaze from a plane tens of thousands of feet in the air, high enough to be unaffected by the lights on the ground – although in this case the 787 is flying above water.

As Mabel shifted her focus towards the back of the plane, something familiar caught her eye in the northwestern sky. A familiar pattern, one that always brings a smile to her, one that reminds her of her most favorite person in the world.

The Big Dipper.

Being summertime, the constellation is at an angle, with the handle pointing upward. Mabel fixated herself on her favorite set of stars. A small smile appeared on the girl's face.

After a couple of minutes, Mabel found her eyes drooping. She is finally in the mood to sleep. Mabel let out a yawn and did a small stretch.

Mabel turned her head to her right, where her beloved twin is sitting, relaxed and snoring slightly. He is holding his lumberjack hat on his lap, making his hair exposed – which he often does when he sleeps.

Mabel looked affectionately at Mason…or more commonly called, Dipper. After the Big Dipper constellation.

Mabel gently lifted the hair covering Dipper's forehead, revealing the origin of his nickname – his birthmark, shaped perfectly like the Big Dipper. Exactly like the group of stars Mabel had been looking at for the past several minutes. The group of stars that remind from the deepest part of her heart her best friend, her twin, her brother, the person she loves the most – Dipper. Mabel leaned forward and softly planted a kiss on her brother's forehead.

Mabel put up the seat divider between her and Dipper. She took her blanket and covered both herself and her brother. She cuddled against Dipper, leaning her head against his shoulder. Mabel closed her eyes, absorbing the warmth of being close to her twin. The nonstop, regular hum of the plane engines, the smooth, turbulence-free ride, and simply being next to Dipper slowly made Mabel fall into slumber.

And without waking up, and almost instinctively, Dipper slipped his arm around Mabel, and pulled her further against him. The twins slept peacefully and comfortably in the dark, quiet cabin, huddled together.

The Boeing 787-9 continued cruising through the night, between a vast oceans scattered with clouds and a wide sky dimly illuminated by stars. It increased speed as it made its way from 39,000 feet up to 40,000 feet.

The Big Dipper, prominent in the sky, twinkled brightly behind the plane. A shooting star streaked passed the constellation.

**Gravity Falls**_** was created by Alex Hirsch and produced by Disney Television Animation. All characters and related media belong to Disney.**_


End file.
